Laureate Lessing Says No New Novels

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

Nobel literature prize winner Doris Lessing says she is unlikely to write a new full-length novel, according to excerpts of an interview released Sunday.

In extracts of a British Broadcasting Corp. interview, Ms. Lessing said that winning the prestigious prize had been “a bloody disaster.”

The 88-year-old author said she no longer has the energy to take on writing a full novel, blaming constant media demands.

“All I do is give interviews and spend time being photographed,” Ms. Lessing was quoted as saying in the radio interview, which will be broadcast Monday.

Ms. Lessing — the author of more than 50 novels, volumes of short stories, memoirs, and plays — was named the winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in literature in October. The Swedish Academy, which awards the prize, praised her “skepticism, fire and visionary power.”

Ms. Lessing was born in Persia — now Iran — and raised in Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe. Her most influential book is considered to be “The Golden Notebook,” published in 1962 and regarded as a feminist classic.

But Ms. Lessing, the 11th woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature in its 106-year history, said she is now finding it difficult to write.

“It has stopped; I don’t have any energy any more,” she was quoted as saying.

“This is why I keep telling anyone younger than me, don’t imagine you’ll have it forever,” she said, according to the BBC. “Use it while you’ve got it because it’ll go. It’s sliding away like water down a plughole.”


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use